CULPEPER, VA (October 4, 2010)--The road to the 2011 $1 Million Grand Prix kicked-off on Sunday when Chris Nelson and Lazy Creek Ranch's Inside Out captured the win in the final HITS Grand Prix of the year, presented by Pfizer Animal Health, at the Culpeper Finals.

Nelson, of Flower Mound, Texas, and nine-year-old Inside Out were one of 14 horse-and-rider combinations to ride the course designed by Marina Azevedo of Sao Paulo, Brazil, which saw six pairs advance to the jump-off.

"It was a really good course," said Nelson. "It had nice, flowing, gallopy lines, and a lot of technical options."

After several horse-and-rider combinations tried to defeat the course, the first clear round came at the reins of Matthias Hollberg of Apex, North Carolina and Wadisson, owned by the Apex Equestrian Center. Hollberg and Wadisson had success earlier in the week as well when they captured the second-place honors in Friday's $15,000 Brook Ledge Open Prix.

Two trips later, Nelson and Patty Stovel of Chester Springs, Pennsylvania, aboard her first of two mounts, Carigor Z, posted back-to-back clear rounds to set the stage for a jump-off.

At the end of the first round, Laura Linback of Mundelin, Illinois, aboard Woodrun's Uppsala; the winners of Friday's $15,000 Brook Ledge Open Prix, Silvio Mazzoni of Leesburg, Virginia and Pato Muente's Remonta Habano; and Stovel aboard her second mount, Shandor 41, rounded out the jump-off.

Hollberg and Wadisson returned first for the jump-off and wasted little time in setting the Great American Time to Beat at 42.261 seconds with a double-clear effort.

"This was a really good class," said Hollberg. "This horse is new for me and he's been fantastic, so far. I'm very proud of what he's been able to do."

Next to show was Nelson and Inside Out, who shaved seconds off the time to beat with a clear round in 38.123 seconds.

"It was a pretty long jump-off," explained Nelson. "I was looking for a clear round, and I knew I needed to go fast, so in the end, we were both!"

Stovel was next to show on her first of two mounts, Carigor Z, and looked to beat the pace set by Nelson. The team easily captured the time in 37.482 seconds, but the second-to-last fence came down for four jumping faults, which ultimately put them in third place.

Next to return was Linback and Uppsala, who had eight faults in 43.522 seconds. Mazzoni and Remonta Habano also had eight faults in the jump-off, in 38.186 seconds for the fifth-place finish.

Last to show in the jump-off was Stovel and Shandor 41, who completed the course in 40.680 seconds with four jumping faults, which earned them fourth place overall in the class.

The Culpeper Finals marked the end of show jumping in 2010 for HITS, Inc., before action returns this winter at Post Time Farm in Ocala, Florida, the Desert Horse Park in Thermal, California, and HITS Arizona in Tucson, Arizona. The race to qualify for the 2011 $1 Million Grand Prix on September 11, 2011 is officially underway as Sunday's Grand Prix in Culpeper was the first qualifier of the 2011 season. All riders who competed in the class picked up their first of eight Grand Prix classes needed to qualify for the Million. The next chance to qualify will be during the HITS Winter Circuits in Thermal, Ocala and Arizona.

While HITS starts to look ahead to the 2011 season and the upcoming winter show season, it has already outlined some plans for the 2011 HITS Culpeper show season, which includes new footing in the Grand Prix arena and five $1 Million Grand Prix Qualifiers.

The HITS 2011 winter show season kicks-off with the HITS Ocala Winter Circuit on January 19 and runs through March 20. On the west coast, the HITS Desert Circuit in Thermal, California will take place January 25, through March 13, while the HITS Arizona Winter Circuit will run six consecutive weeks from February 2, through March 13.

All HITS Winter Circuit Prize Lists will be available by mid-to-late October. To request a prize list, please visit HitsShows.com or click here.


HITS, Inc. produces high-quality, international-level hunter/jumper horse shows. Based in upstate New York in the village of Saugerties, HITS has been producing shows since 1982 and is now a nationwide company with world-class circuits in California, Florida, Arizona, New York and Virginia. In 2010, HITS took the industry to new heights when it hosted the first-ever Pfizer $1 Million Grand Prix on September 12, in Saugerties, New York.

For more information and a complete schedule of classes and events, visit www.HitsShows.com.

Media should contact the HITS Media Team at 845.246.8833 or e-mail [email protected].


$40,000 HITS Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal Health
PLACING HORSE OWNER RIDER PRIZE MONEY RD 1 FAULTS JO FAULTS JO TIME
1. Inside Out, Lazy Creek Ranch, Chris Nelson, $12,000, 0, 0, 38.123
2. Wadisson, Apex Equestrian Center, Matthias Hollberg, $8,800, 0, 0, 42.261
3. Carigor Z, Patty Stovel, Patty Stovel, $5,200 , 0, 4, 37.482
4. Shandor 41, Patty Stovel Patty Stovel, $3,200, 0, 4, 40.680
5. Remonta Habano, Pato Muente, Silvio Mazzoni, $2,400, 0, 8, 38.186
6. Uppsala, Woodrun, Laura Linback, $2,000, 0, 8, 43.522
7. Hotspur 23, Gustavo Prato, Gustavo Prato, $1,600, 4
8. Rivano Spencer Ranch, Ian Silitch, $1,200, 4
9. Udonna, Raylyn Farms, Inc., Benjamin Meredith, $1,200, 4
10. Gerona 92, Rolling Acres, Mary Lisa Leffler, $800, 4
11. Gretna 2, Raylyn Farms, Inc., Marilyn Little-Meredith, $800, 8
12. Blue Danube, The Goddard Harrison Group, Helen Goddard, $800, 12